Roki

Sasaki

Sasaki, 23, has stopped throwing and there’s no timetable for when he’ll be able to return to the mound. The move opens up a roster spot for Zach Penrod after he was dealt to the Dodgers from the Red Sox. The earliest Sasaki could return from the injured list now is July 13, which is when the All-Star break begins.

The 23-year-old hurler finally resumed throwing last week, but he’s still not comfortable while throwing with any sort of intensity so the Dodgers have shut him back down. It’s starting to sound like the Dodgers aren’t sure whether or not Sasaki is going to be able to return at all this season. Fantasy managers in redraft leagues may want to cut bait if faced with any sort of roster crunch.

Sasaki remains without a definitive return timetable as he re-starts his throwing progression after hitting the injured list last month with shoulder discomfort that he pitched through for several weeks. The 23-year-old phenom is expected to utilize the break to work on his mechanics and refine his arsenal. He figures to return to Los Angeles’ rotation mix at some point in the second half.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts noted that Sasaki will begin a throwing progression as he starts to ramp back up following a bout of right shoulder discomfort. The Dodgers are going to take every possible precaution as the bring him back, so don’t expect any sort of timeline on a potential return for a while still.

Sasaki added that the issue wasn’t as bad as what he dealt with last year during his final season in Japan and didn’t directly attribute the shoulder problems to his diminished velocity in recent outings. The 23-year-old phenom added that he plans to use the time off to work on his mechanics. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said earlier on Wednesday that Sasaki won’t require any sort of medical intervention, which includes injections, but will be shut down from throwing for a while. Fantasy managers in shallow mixed leagues can probably afford to move on from Sasaki since he’s likely facing a lengthy absence.

The decision comes just a few hours after Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told reporters Sasaki reported arm soreness following his previous start last Friday against the Diamondbacks when he allowed five runs over four innings. The 23-year-old’s fastball velocity has been down in recent outings and he’s struggled to a bloated 4.72 ERA and lackluster 15.6 percent strikeout rate through eight starts in his big-league debut. It’s not the worst idea for Los Angeles to give him some extra time out of the spotlight to get back to 100 percent physically and refine his arsenal. He remains one of the most intriguing talents in the fantasy landscape from a long-term standpoint, but it’s impossible to overlook his early struggles. There’s no timetable for his potential return at this juncture, but there should be some clarity on his status at some point shortly.

Roberts added that it’s possible Sasaki will require a trip to the injured list. His fastball velocity was down in his previous start last Friday against the Diamondbacks as he allowed five runs over four innings of work. The 23-year-old top pitching prospect would likely benefit from a bit of a mental and physical reset after struggling to a pedestrian 4.72 ERA and subpar 15.6 percent strikeout rate across eight starts. There should be a decision on his status at some point later this week. It seems highly unlikely he’ll make his next scheduled start on Thursday against the Athletics.

The good news is that Sasaki’s issue wasn’t throwing strikes. The right-hander threw 43-of-61 pitches for strikes and he walked just two. The bad news is that he was still ineffective, and he wasn’t able to go deep even in a game where the Dodgers gave him nine runs of support before he exited. Sasaki now has a 4.72 ERA on the season, and while there’s plenty of baseball left to be played, its’ fair to say he isn’t living up to (lofty) expectations. He’ll try and rebound against the Athletics next week.

Sasaki threw 98 pitches, which are now a career MLB high for the right-hander. He picked up four strikeouts on those offerings, but generated only six swings-and-misses before leaving. He gave up two runs in the fourth, but outside of that inning, he was mostly solid. We’re still waiting for the breakout game for Sasaki, but the 23-year-old has more than held his own in his first month-plus of MLB action. He’s set to face the Diamondbacks next weekend if the Dodgers’ rotation stays the same.

Sasaki’s outing got off to a rough start, as Oneil Cruz swatted a leadoff homer off the 23-year-old right-hander. He pitched relatively well over the next few frames, but he gave up a two-run single to Cruz in the fifth to turn a strong outing into a so-so one. He walked two, and throwing consistent strikes continues to be an issue with just 53-of-93 pitches landing in the zone. The fact he has ‘struggled’ to a 3.55 ERA tells you just how talented Sasaki is, and he’s worth starting against Atlanta next weekend.